Putting On the Ritz
by ombre nocturne
Summary: After her brother's untimely death, Orihime Inoue flees the city of Chicago for the quiet suburbs. It was in this quiet town that she learned the truth about love, adventure and betrayal.


_**Author's Note:** I know, I'm crazy for starting yet another fanfic. But I promise, I had a really good reason for doing this! I decided to join the Hali Challenge of 2010 on FLOL, where the challenge is to write 50,000 words by December 31st of this year. I was originally planning on making this fic specifically for that challenge, but since I've been having a few issues with keeping up with everything I want to do, I decided to just count everything I write this year. XD Either way, I'm really excited about this fic._

_A few notes before I get started; this is centered around 1920's Chicago. I've always loved the atmosphere of that era as well as the fashion and...well, everything. So because of that, there will be a few terms that you may not be familiar with. I'll be sure to let you know either at the beginning of the chapter or the end of the chapter. I haven't decided yet. Either way, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about it. :)_

_Wow, that was a really long author's note. Enjoy guys!_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Bleach and all characters, designs, etc. belong to __**Tite Kubo**__. I'm only allowed to fantasize about them._

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* * *

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Wincing at the loud, shrill horn that sounded in her ears, Orihime braced herself against the seat in front of her as the train lurched forward. Hearing the gears begin to move faster and faster, she relaxed – if only slightly – against her seat. Glancing out of the window, she watched with a sense of dread as people milling about on the platform flashed past the window.

It was only once they were out of the city that she exhaled the breath she was unknowingly holding.

Leaning forward, she nervously looked around the train car. She sighed in relief when all she saw were men in business suits, mindlessly reading the latest edition of the Chicago Tribune, and women in their Sunday best, quietly scolding their children while trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Slumping against her seat, she closed her eyes as her small hand fluttered over her ample chest, feeling the fast rate of her heart through her thick woolen coat. Frowning, she twirled her auburn hair between her fingers, a sense of unease settling in her chest. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, she let her ashen eyes rove over the familiar handwriting.

_'My dearest Orihime,_

_ I am so happy to hear that you've decided to take me up on my offer! I know it must be hard for you to drop everything and leave the city, but you really shouldn't be living there by yourself. Especially after everything that's just happened with your brother. Oh! Listen to me ramble on like a girl who has too many drinks in her! I've enclosed a train ticket for this coming Thursday. The train leaves at noon, so don't be late! I'll be seeing you soon._

_ Much love,_

_ Rangiku'_

Brushing the tears from her eyes, Orihime marveled at her cousin's generosity. Rangiku was happily married to the owner of a small restaurant and bar in a small town just outside the city and although they were attempting to start a family of their own, they hadn't hesitated to offer her a place to stay after her brother's death. Shuddering, Orihime screwed her eyes shut and tried to push away the unpleasant images that assaulted her.

_'Brother, I miss you so much,'_ she thought, twisting he fabric of her coat in her slim fingers.

Turning her gaze to the window, she watched wearily as trees flashed past her and heavy rain pounded against the window. She wryly wondered if the weather outside was mimicking how she felt. Blinking slowly, she felt sleep begin to overtake her and she gladly welcomed it. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she adjusted her position and soon fell asleep.

* * *

Glancing over his newspaper, his eyes narrowed slightly as he zeroed in on the young woman sitting several rows in front of him. She was slumped in her seat, her eyes closed as her chest rose and fell steadily. His eyes roved over her form, idly noting how the woolen coatshe wore was stretched taught over her large chest. Flicking his gaze back to her face, he was pleased to see that she had been lulled to sleep by the gentle swaying of the train.

This was going to be easier than he thought.

Leaning back in his seat, he frowned and ran his hand through his already messy hair, the corners of his mouth turned down in a scowl. Despite that fact that he was to bring the girl he was watching intently back to his boss, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more about her than just the fact that she was wanted by his boss.

"Follow her and bring her back. _Alive_."

Grimacing at the cold voice floating around in his head, Ichigo sighed, feeling disgruntled with his predicament. Not even a year had passed since he been accepted into the 'family', as they fondly referred to themselves as, and he already wished he hadn't agreed to join them. The carnage that fell around the family's leader was incredible; he never realizedthat the streets of Chicago were as corrupt as they were until now.

Glancing down at his newspaper, he inwardly cursed himself.

_'If I had been stronger, I wouldn't be in this mess,'_ he thought bitterly. _'And I wouldn't have to do that bastard's dirty work either.'_

His gaze was drawn back to the woman he was trailing as she stirred in her sleep. It looked as though she was about to awaken, but she simply sighed and returned to her slumber. Shaking his head, Ichigo returned his attention to his newspaper, feigning ignorance as the train flew past fields of corn and wheat.

Several hours passed before the conductor came through the car, waking passengers that were about to miss their stop. The elderly man stopped at the woman's chair and gently shook her until she woke up. He quietly informed her of something, and she smiled in relief as she thanked him. Brows furrowing, Ichigo folded his newspaper and readied himself to resume his task. He watched quietly as she struggled to retrieve her luggage, earning some help from a young man across the aisle form her.

Ichigo quickly rose to his feet as the train lurched to a stop, his eyes trained on the girl's auburn hair as she shuffled her way towards the exit. Pushing his way past the slower patrons, Ichigo stepped out into the cool night air, his gaze scanning the large crowd for the woman he needed to capture.

A loud squeal of excitement caught his attention and he watched in amusement as the young woman was whisked into the arms of a voluptuous blonde while someone – the blonde's husband, no doubt – stood by the wayside, a small smile on his lips.

He frowned as he covertly followed the trio down the sidewalk, not bothering to apologize to the elderly man he bumped into. He was too preoccupied with his task to notice much except for the small question floating about in his head.

_'What the hell does Aizen want with this girl?'_

* * *

Stepping off of the train, Orihime nervously glanced around the sea of people, clutching her small suitcase tightly as she sought out her cousin. Craning her neck, she shivered at the gust of cool night air that brushed against her skin. Shuffling forward with the crowd, she began to panic.

_'What if Rangiku didn't show up?'_ she thought worriedly.

She quickly shook her head at the thought, appalled that she would even think that of her cousin. Her eyes widened in surprise as she heard someone calling her name, and pushing her way through the crowd, she stumbled to a halt when the train station came into view. Standing beneath the large sign hanging from the rafters of the building stood a young blonde woman and a dark haired man. They both smiled at her, the woman waving frantically and calling her name.

Tears filled Orihime's eyes as she hurried towards the couple and flung herself into her cousin's arms.

"Rangiku, I'm so happy to see you," cried Orihime as she pulled away, a bright smile on her face despite the tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. Turning to her right, she smiled shyly at her cousin's husband. "Mr. Hisagi, it's nice to see you as well."

Chuckling, Shuuhei clapped a hand on Orihime's shoulder. "Orihime, call me Shuuhei. We're all family here, so there's no need to be so formal."

Nodding slightly, Orihime flushed in embarrassment at Shuuhei's comment. Turning back to Rangiku, she hastily wiped away the tears that continued to fall down her cheeks. "Th-thank you for allowing me to stay with you," she murmured.

"Honey, after everything that happened did you really expect me to let you live in that big ol' city by your lonesome?" Pulling Orihime into a tight hug, Rangiku leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I know it's hard for you, but if you want to talk to me about what happened, I'm all ears."

Gripping the back of Rangiku's coat, Orihime swallowed back the sorrow that rose within her at her cousin's gentle words. Licking her lips, she relinquished her grip on her cousin's coat and took a step back.

"Thank you. It's...still too fresh to talk about it, but..." she said quietly, her demeanor losing it's brightness as she struggled to find the right words. "But if you'll bear with me, someday I may be able to talk about it."

"Of course," murmured Rangiku, her eyes shining with sympathy for her cousin's loss.

"Orihime will talk when she's ready. In the meantime," Shuuhei paused to pick up Orihime's suitcase. "Let's head home. I'll even fix some supper when we get there." Orihime giggled when he winked at her before hooking his free arm around his wife's.

"Shuuhei is right. Let's go home," said Rangiku as she held out her arm for Orihime.

Nodding, Orihime smiled brightly up at her cousin as she gently grasped Rangiku's hand. As they walked towards where Shuuhei had parked his jalopy, Orihime nervously chewed on her lip. She refused to acknowledge the sense of unease settling in her stomach as she glanced around the crowd of people surrounding her.

_'It's just my imagination,'_ she thought. _'He can't get to me here. He probably doesn't even know that I left the city.'_

Pushing her uneasiness to the back of her mind, she focused only on the warmth emanating from her cousin's hand.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Orihime's arrival, and Rangiku was relieved to see that her cousin had gradually made herself at home. At first, the older woman had been worried that Orihime had become withdrawn after her ordeal in the city. However, after only a few days of staying with them, she had begun to act like the Orihime they knew and loved once again.

Wiping her hands on the dish towel hanging from her apron, Rangiku walked over to the foot of the staircase. "Orihime, breakfast is ready!" she called.

"Coming!" Rangiku smiled softly as she heard Orihime bound from her bed and hurry down the hall; no matter how many times she scolded her, Orihime merely claimed that she was eager to spend time with her family. Within a matter of moments, Orihime appeared at the top of the stairs, a bright smile on her face as she descended them. "Good morning Rangiku!"

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Nodding in the affirmative, Orihime beamed at her cousin. "Oh Rangiku, I had the most wonderful dream last night! There were pirates and these machines that looked remarkably like humans having sword fights with each other!"

Chuckling at her cousin's imagination, Rangiku ushered her towards the kitchen. "Orihime, what am I going to do with you and your wild imagination?"

"Love me forever and ever?" teased Orihime, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Rolling her eyes, Rangiku hurried to the oven to retrieve the biscuits she had baked that morning. "Of course I will, you silly girl. Now hurry up and wash your face. Shuuhei is heading into town and I need all the help I can get in preparing to open the restaurant this afternoon."

Nodding in the affirmative, Orihime hastily splashed cool water on her face, her thoughts drifting as she did. While her dreams did in fact involve pirates in one way or another, there had been a particularly disturbing portion she had omitted from her tale. Shuddering as the thoughts permeated her mind, she quickly pushed them away.

_'There's no reason to be so paranoid,'_ she mentally chided herself. _'It's been several weeks. If he hasn't found me by now, then he'll never be able to find me.'_

Brows furrowed, she nodded sharply, almost as if to reassure herself, and quickly dried her hands and face before joining her cousins in the dining room.

* * *

Stifling a yawn as he perused the sleepy town, Ichigo found himself immensely bored with the situation he was in. Here he was, keeping an eye on some girl that his boss was oh-so adamant about being returned to him, and he could make no sense of it. Over the course of the few weeks he had been staying in the small town, he had found lodgings in a small, run-down bed-and-breakfast, agreeing to help the elderly woman with her errands in exchange for room and board. In doing so, it gave him the perfect opportunity to survey his mark and find the perfect way to instill himself in her daily life.

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his woolen coat, he shivered against the chilly morning air, every fiber of his being longing for the warm days that late spring would bring. His mind began to wander as the sleepy town slowly awoke, and he found himself analyzing the girl's movements.

In the short time that she had been here, she had not only been welcomed with open arms by the townsfolk, but she had also become very close friends with one of the young ladies that lived down the street from her. Tatsuki Arisawa was her name, if Ichigo remembered correctly. She was a tomboyish woman, her black hair cut into a short bob and her stern demeanor showing that she had the ability to beat any man – or woman - within an inch of their life should they ever cross her. Shaking his head, Ichigo was unsure of how to approach his mark with such a tough dame standing guard of her innocent friend.

_'How the hell am I supposed to get her to trust me?'_ he thought sullenly, his mouth stretching down into a scowl. _'At this rate, Aizen will send someone to take over for me and that won't be a good thing.'_

Hunching his back against the cold air, Ichigo continued to trudge down the empty streets, mulling over his options.

* * *

Humming softly, Orihime walked down the street, a bag of groceries swinging beside her. The restaurant had been busier than expected and Rangiku had sent her to the store to pick up some ingredients that they had run out of. Her trip had been relatively short – the market was just down the street – so Orihime decided to prolong her outing as long as she dared.

Inhaling deeply, she reveled in just how clean the air was in the country compared to the city. A puff of air escaped her lips as she exhaled, her eyes darting to and fro on the streets. The street lamps were lit, the lights casting a dim glow upon the cobblestone streets and stone buildings.

_'It's a shame there's no snow. I bet it's lovely at night when there's snow piled up on the streets,'_ she thought happily.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled once again, intent on absorbing everything she could about this small town while she could. Frowning softly, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she contemplated just how long she could stay with her cousin.

Shivering, she shook her head, her eyes shining with determination. Deciding to worry about it when the time came, she rounded the corner only to run into something – or someone. Crying out in surprise, her eyes widened as she tumbled to the ground, her purchases spilling from the paper bag.

"Horsefeathers! Are you okay?"

Rubbing her head, she glanced up only to freeze when she saw a pair of deep amber eyes boring into hers. Her cheeks began to warm as she stared at him, mouth agape and her mind racing to try and comprehend what had just happened. She noticed the man frown, his eyebrows furrowing as he bent down to her level. Her eyes widened as his face was illuminated; locks of bright orange hair hung in his face, the unruly strands partially obscuring his eyes. She absently noticed that his spiked hair was definitely outside of the norm and flushed when she decided that although it wasn't slicked back as was the style, his unruly hair seemed to suite him. Despite the scowl on his face, she could tell that he was undeniably attractive. She let her eyes rove over the sharp angle of his jaw to his high cheekbones and straight nose, her gut clenching in anticipation. Of what, she wasn't entirely sure.

"Oi! Are you deaf or something?"

Snapping out of her reverie, she averted her gaze in embarrassment, her cheeks burning under his fierce gaze.

"N-no, I'm alright," she mumbled.

She heard him sigh in exasperation, followed shortly by the rustling of her paper shopping bag. Glancing up, she watched in abject fascination as he silently began picking up her items, shoving them unceremoniously back into the bag.

"A-ah! You don't need to do that! It was my fault! I wasn't looking where I was going," she cried, her hands flailing in front of her face.

The man paused as he regarded her for a moment before resuming the task of retrieving her items. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't exactly looking where I was going either." Once he had finished placing her items in the bag, he handed it to her.

"A-ah, thank you," she said, smiling softly at him. Her eyes widened briefly as his fingertips brushed against her knuckles, a bolt of electricity racing down her spine at the contact. Breathlessly, she wrapped her arms around the bag, almost as if she was holding onto it to keep herself from fainting.

Grunting, Ichigo rose to his feet, brushing the bits of dirt and dust off of his pants and coat. Noticing that Orihime had made no effort to move, but continued to stare at him in wide-eyed awe, he sighed before offering her his hand.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes when she merely stared at his outstretched hand, blinking rapidly. As she slowly withdrew her hand from her death grip on her paper bag, he noted how prettily her cheeks flushed as she hesitantly slipped her small, dainty hand into his. He heard her gasp sharply as he closed his hand around hers and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled forward and he instinctively reached out to catch her, a soft 'oof' escaping her lips as she landed against his chest.

Ichigo looked down at her, her brown eyes widening in mortification before she hastily took a step backwards, stammering as her cheeks darkened to a bright red. "I-I...I'm so sorry!" she cried in embarrassment.

Averting his gaze, Ichigo felt a dull heat creep into his cheeks and he silently thanked whatever God was out there that it was dark. "It's fine," he mumbled. Glancing back at her, he watched as she nervously shifted from one foot to the other, her gaze downcast. Exhaling harshly, he kneaded the back of his neck as uncertainty settled in the pit of his stomach.

Ignoring the sinking sensation in his stomach, he let his eyes rove over her, taking in everything from her petite feet and hands to her wide hips and bust. His eyes widened slightly as she peered at him over the bag of groceries, her eyes wide and questioning. Turning on his heel, he shoved his hands into his coat pocket to hide the fact that his fingers had curled into fists.

"C'mon. I'll walk you home."

"Eh?" Orihime merely stared at the stranger's back, unable to comprehend what was happening. "Oh! There's really no need to walk me home! I'll be fine!"

Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed as Orihime continued to ramble. Sighing, he turned to face her. "Look, just let me walk you home. Besides, you don't know who could be lurking around here at night."

Startled by his admonishment, Orihime nodded dumbly before hurrying to catch up to him. After a few moments, a thought struck her and she peered up at him, her brows puckered in confusion.

"Excuse me, but how do you know where I live?"

Frowning, Ichigo mulled over her question for a moment. He couldn't exactly say he had been watching her for the last few weeks. Running a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumped slightly in resignation. "Er...I was at that small restaurant and I saw you working there. You were the waitress that served me actually."

"Ah!" Orihime's face visibly brightened at his admission, a wide smile forming on her face. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you! Things have been pretty hectic at the restaurant lately."

"It's alright," he mumbled. _'Why am I feeling so flustered? I'm just doing my job and nothing else.'_

"Um...what was your name again?" asked Orihime tentatively.

"Huh? Oh...it's Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kurosaki," said Orihime, smiling warmly up at him. "My name is Orihime Inoue."

"Nice to meet you too."

* * *

_Just as a quick note, **horsefeathers** is a slang word for any sort of curse word. You'll probably be seeing this one a lot throughout the story, lol. Also, just to let you know what the plans are for this fic, I plan on concentrating on my other fics (Thinking of You and Hoshi) and making those my priority. This one will likely not be updated until either I've caught up on both of those, which may or may not be awhile. Who knows? Either way, thank you so much for reading and I hope that you'll bear with me until I'm able to get another chapter written and posted. :)_


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